We report a versatile divergent methodology to construct dendrimers from a tetrafunctional core, utilizing the robust copper(I) catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC, "click") reaction for both dendrimer synthesis and post-synthesis functionalization. Dendrimers of generations 1-3 with 8-32 protected or free OH and acetylene surface groups, were synthesized using building blocks that incl...

This special issue entitled "Functional Dendrimers" focuses on the manipulation of at least six "critical nanoscale design parameters" (CNDPs) of dendrimers including: size, shape, surface chemistry, flexibility/rigidity, architecture and elemental composition. These CNDPs collectively define properties of all "functional dendrimers". This special issue contains many interesting examples descri...

Immunoimaging scanning probe microscopy was utilized for the low-level detection and quantification of biotinylated G4 poly(amidoamine) PAMAM dendrimers. Results were compared to those of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and found to provide a vastly improved analytical method for the low-level detection of dendrimers, improving the limit of detection by a factor of 1000 (LOD = 2.5...

The internally functionalized dendrimers are novel polymers that differ from conventional dendrimers by having additional functional units which do not branch out further. We investigate the dynamics of these structures with the inclusion of local semiflexibility and analyze their eigenmodes. The functionalized units clearly manifest themselves leading to a group of eigenvalues which are not pr...

Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are hyper-branched polymers with uniform size, defined molecular weight, large internal cavities and a high number of surface groups that make them particularly suitable for a number of biomedical and technological applications [1]. It has been found that surface functionalization is the main factor modulating the toxicity of dendrimers to mammalian cells lin...

Amphiphiles with a dendritic structure are attractive materials as they combine the features of dendrimers with the self-assembling properties and interfacial behavior of water-air affinities. We have synthesized three generations of polyester dendrimers and studied their interfacial properties on the Langmuir films. The behavior obtained was, as a rule, the lowest generation dendrimers behavin...

PAMAM dendrimers are used as a model system to investigate the effects of counterion condensation and the effective charge for spherical polyelectrolytes. Because of their amino groups, PAMAM dendrimers are weak polyelectrolytes. Lowering the pH results in an increasing protonation of the amino groups which is monitored via the proton chemical shifts of the adjacent CH2 groups. The effective ch...

The first surface vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopic studies of amine-terminated Starburst® PAMAM G0 and G1 and acylated PAMAM G0 dendrimers at the glass–, gold–, and air–dendrimer interface are presented. Amine-terminated PAMAM G0 and G1 dendrimers as compared to the acylated PAMAM G0 dendrimer reveal significantly different surface SFG spectroscopic signatures. Raman spe...